Scotland, UK, 01 Aug: The Scottish Hindu Foundation (SHF) proudly announces that its Chairperson, Dr Richa Sinha MBE, has been conferred the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by His Majesty King Charles III at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, recognising her outstanding contribution to strengthening Scotland’s Hindu community, promoting civic participation, and raising awareness of Hinduphobia.
The honour recognises years of dedicated leadership that has helped build a united voice for Scotland’s Hindu community while fostering constructive engagement with public institutions and policymakers.
A Tribute to Heritage
For the investiture ceremony, Dr Sinha wore a hand-painted Madhubani sari, celebrating her Bihari heritage and India’s rich artistic traditions. Created by the late Padma Shri awardee Sita Devi, one of India’s most celebrated Madhubani artists, the sari symbolised the enduring importance of preserving cultural identity while contributing to society on a global stage.
Building Scotland’s Unified Hindu Voice
Under Dr Sinha’s leadership, the Scottish Hindu Foundation has emerged as Scotland’s leading representative body for the Hindu community, bringing together temples, cultural organisations, youth groups and charities under a common platform.
The Foundation has worked to strengthen dialogue between the Hindu community and public institutions, ensuring greater representation, participation and collaboration across civic and political life.
One of SHF’s flagship initiatives, Dharmocracy, encourages greater civic and political participation among Hindu Scots while building meaningful engagement across political parties. The programme reached a significant milestone when the Scottish Liberal Democrats became the first political party to explicitly recognise Hinduphobia in an election manifesto.
The Foundation also organised Scotland’s first Parliamentary Conference on Hinduphobia, bringing together parliamentarians, Police Scotland, academics, Armed Forces representatives, interfaith leaders and community organisations to discuss awareness, policy responses and community engagement.
Promoting Inclusive Civic Engagement
Dr Sinha believes that lasting social change begins with organised communities working constructively alongside governments and public institutions.
Within the framework of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, the Foundation has collaborated with Police Scotland, elected representatives and public bodies to improve awareness, strengthen reporting mechanisms and encourage greater confidence among community members.
A significant milestone came in January 2024, when the Foundation presented a proposed working definition of Hinduphobia to Scotland’s First Minister during the first formal meeting between the Scottish Government and Scotland’s Hindu community.
“Communities cannot simply wait for governments to solve every challenge. Meaningful change happens when people come together, engage constructively with public institutions, and build lasting partnerships based on trust, evidence and shared purpose. While every country has its own context, positive civic engagement remains the foundation of a stronger and more inclusive society.”
— Dr Richa Sinha MBE
Sharing Best Practices Globally
The Scottish Hindu Foundation is committed to sharing its experience with organisations worldwide seeking to strengthen community engagement, policy development and institutional collaboration.
This commitment will continue through the Banyan Tree Network, an international initiative focused on strengthening Dharma leadership, advocacy and institutional partnerships. The Network will officially launch its UK programme in Scotland on 29–30 August, bringing together organisations, policymakers and community leaders to exchange ideas and build long-term collaborations.
Individuals and organisations interested in establishing or joining a local Banyan Tree Network chapter are encouraged to connect with the organisers.
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